Props

I've covered teams, genres, and Shakespeare lines. I guess it's time to cover props.

Props are not necessary to theatre. In fact, if a prop is unavailable it can often be mimed that suffices. There are a number of familiar actions that serve well as representations as physical objects because they are so readily recognized. In fact, some plays have been written with the intent of miming the props (or using people as props) to great effect. Still, seeing an object in a person's hand can add dramatic value to a show. Props can also be good fun.

For example, my first year of high school I was in "Crazy For You". One scene takes place in a bar; someone had procured a pair of beer mugs that were colored to appear half-full of beer. One day, outside of rehearsal, a few friends and I were hanging out in the theatre waiting for classes to begin. As we joked around I grabbed the beer mug and mimed throwing beer into one of the girl's face (my theatre teachers never taught me to not touch other people's props. Don't touch other people's props). To my great horror I heard liquid as it sloshed in the glass I was propelling forward. Too late to halt the motion I could only watch as I threw water on my friend during middle of the school day. The moment scared me quite a bit as was evident from my dropped jaw and bugged eyes.

She, on the other hand, was laughing uproariously at the look on my face. The mugs were novelty glasses with a layer of water trapped between the inside and the outside of the mug. I hadn't realized this; when I picked up the mug I had not expected to hear liquid sloshing. This amused my for days and days and days. See props can be fun!

So how are we going to use props in the 24-hour theatre project? This is going to take some explaining. Set the way back machine to 2004 (or thereabouts). In college I gave up stage theater for improvisation. Okay, I was too afraid to audition for staged theatre despite being told multiple times that they always needed more men. I was foolish and regret it a little. Fortunately, I found an improv group willing to train me. I don't regret a moment of my time learning improv. A lot of who I am today is because of the years spent with that group. Anyway, the improv troupe had two suitcases filled with "props". The props were an assortment of wigs, hats, and clothes that could be used as costume pieces. There were also random objects that could be used in a variety of ways. And we did! The brilliant thing about these props was that they could be used on a blank stage to establish character or situation quickly. They were unnecessary, but they added depth to the performance.

To reminisce a little I asked the old group what some of their favorite props were. Included in that list were: a lampshade, a squeegee, a baby doll (that was used as a prosthetic leg), and some feather boas. Feather boas are fabulous, every improv group should have a couple on hand, just in case. People from outside that improv group also mentioned a chicken (I'm assuming rubber) and a fully-dressed blow-up doll. I wanted to reiterate how much fun those props can be, but the possibility of double entendre is too strong to risk it.

Besides our everyday props, my improv group would occasionally play a game called "Props", made popular by 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?'. You can see clips from their games below:



On a brief side note, you'll notice jokes or their variations repeated in that clip. Honestly, it's one of the best tricks to improv. You have a few solid go-to jokes that you can use in a lot of situations. You don't use them every performance, but they are there when you need them. Plus, they're subtle enough that unless someone watch the shows in rapid succession the audience won't notice.

"Props" is a fun game because it requires you to use your imagination to see what a prop could be, not what it is. This is especially important in 'Whose Line is it Anyway?' because it appears many of their props are custom made and aren't recognizable everyday objects. When my group played Props we took donations from the audience, often weird items we would throw out to the players to use. I remember a chimney broom and a road cone among props that we used in this fashion. I don't know where they got the props, I don't want to know, I just wanted to make jokes with them. Because (say it with me) PROPS ARE FUN!

Of course, those experiences are almost pointless because props in scripted theatre are rarely for making jokes or finding novel ways to use them. They are for helping us create an experience, and they are generally used in familiar ways. This helps the audience connect with the setting or characters quickly. Still, there are things that we can learn from improv about using props in shows. For example, some props will produce the same impression in most people when they see them. This props is a ________ and it should be used like this _________. Fill in the blank and 95% of people will agree with you. It's accurate, it's predictable, it's comforting. It's great to use a prop in this fashion because it satisfies the audience. However, it is better when you use the prop in an unexpected fashion, but you still satisfy the audience.

How do you do it? A year ago I was teaching improv to kids. They were doing a word association game and shouting connections to peanut butter on their turn. They came up with an impressive list, but one item on the list stood out to me. So, when I did it with the second group I used peanut butter again in the hopes that I could illustrate a point. The second group came up with a wonderful list including Peanut Butter & Jelly, Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter sandwiches, Peanut Butter toast, Peanut Butter cookies, and other things I have probably forgotten. They did not, however, get the item that stood out to me from the first group. It wasn't an obvious association and had been missed. So, I explained the concept of unexpected things that satisfy expectations. Then I told them the item they hadn't thought of: Celery. You could see the realization in their faces. Of course, Celery! It's not the first thing people expect when you talk about peanut butter, but it is a great association that makes sense to people. Super satisfactory. Probably more so for being unexpected.

We get the same experience in good books and movies. An ending pleases us when we should have seen it coming, it makes sense, all the connections are their, but we didn't see it. It's unexpected and meets expectations. So, I think a goal in the planning phase of our one-act plays is to see what ways we can use the prop in an unexpected fashion. What twist can we give it that will surprise and delight the audience while still staying true to their expectations? That will be a fun challenge.

Next post will be what types of props we will be given! Look forward to it. Please!